Synchronizing device.



L GAUMONT. .SYNCHRONIZING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC.2. I907.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I- L. GAUMONT. SYNCHRONIZING DEVICE.

' APPLICATION HLFD pm. 2, 1907. 1,163,079. Pufeniwi Dec. 7, 1915.

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\ lll/lllllllllllllllllllllll L. GAUMONT. SYNCHRONIZING DEVICE.APPLICATION FILED Inc. 2. 1907.

1,163,079. Patented Dec. 7, 1915. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON GAUMONT, or PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR To sooIETE DES E'I'ABLISSEMENTSY GAUMONT, or rams, FRANCE.

SYNCHBONIZING DEVICE.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915. this application filed December 2, 1907. SerialNo. 404,712.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, Lr'zoiv GAUMONT, a citizen of the FrenchRepublic,..residing at Paris, France, haveinvented certain new anduseful Improvements in Synchronizing Devices, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of deviceswhich are particularly designed and adapted for em ployment with drivenmechanisms for maintaining a synchronous or substantially synchronousrelation between such mechanisms, and an object of the invention is toprovide a device of this character of a simple and comparativelyinexpensive nature by means of which a phonograph and cinematograph, maybe maintained in substantially synchronous relation automatically as topermitthe reproduction of music, singing, speaking, or other sounds fromthe phonograph in accurate timedrelation to a moving picture exhibitionproduced by the cinematograph, without, the exercise of any particularcare or attention on the part of an attendant.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction,and combinations and arrangements of the several parts of the improvedsynchronizing device, whereby certain important advantages are attainedand the device is rendered simpler, less expensive, and otherwise betteradapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate myinvention-Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing asynchronizing device embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the mechanical controlling means comprised in the device asillustrated in Fig. 1, said device being shown adjusted to a positiondifferent from that illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a central sectiontaken vertically through the controlling means; Fig. 4 is a somewhatdiagrammatic view showing the connection of the motors and thesynchronously operated cinematograph and phonograph.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, 1 represents a suitable support or baseof any kind whereon the controlling means comprised in the improvedsynchronizing device ismounted, said means comprising, as herein shown,a frame formed of spaced members 2, 2 between which is arranged anelectric motor 3, the armature shaft 4 whereof is extended across thespace between and has hearings in the frame members 2, 2 as clearlyshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

slow the motor 3, a differential gear device, indicated as a whole at 5,is extended across the space between the frame members 2, 2, its box orcasing being provided with alined bosses 8, 8 at its forward and rearends, which bosses are mounted to turn in suitable bearings in the framemembers 2, 2 and serve as bearings wherein turn alined shaft sections 6and 7 which project, respectively from the rear and front sides of theframe of the device, and carry, within the box or casing similar bevelor miter gears 9 and 10 which mesh with oppositely arranged bevel ormiter gears 11, 11 upon a shaft 12 extended transversely across the boxor casing of the differential gear device in a direction at right anglesto the axes of the alined shaft sections 6 and 7.

The projecting end portion of the shaft section 6 at the rear side ofthe frame is connected by suitable gearing 14 so as to be driven fromthe motor 3, and said projecting extremity of the shaft section 6 isadapt ed to be connected with a phonograph A, as shown in Fig. 4 in sucha manner that said phonograph shall be driven from the motor 3 while atthe same time, the shaft section 6 and gear 9 of the differential geardevice shall be driven in unison with the movement of said phonograph.

The forward end of the shaft section 7, which projects at the forwardside of the frame, is provided with a gear wheel 15 with which meshes agear wheel 16, mounted upon a stud shaft 17 held to turn in a hearing atthe upper part of a bracket 18, which bracket is adjustably mounted uponthe support 1 so as to be adapted to be adjusted thereon to move thestud shaft 17 nearer to or farther from the shaft section 7 forpermitting gears of different relative diameters to be substituted forthe gear wheels 15 and 16 so that the device may be accommodated formaintaining different speed ratios between the phonograph andcinematograph B,

' vice is herein shown as adapted for use,

\ or pointer N0. 1,1'-ll,339, dated which this present application is adivision,

from which latter the stud shaft 17 is driven by means of a flexibleshaft 19 or the like as shown in Fig. 4.

The detailed construction of the phonograph and cinematograph, inconnection with which the improved synchronizing de an the particularcharacters of the driving connections by means of which the-elements ofthe differential gear device are actuated in unison with said phonographand cinematograph are immaterial to the present invention and are notillustrated in detail herein, since such features of construction arewell known to those skilled in the art.

The forward boss 8 of the box or casing of the differential gear deviceis formedinto a pinion as seen at 20 and said pinion s in mesh with agear wheel .2l having a hub portion mounted to turn loosely upon a stud22 upon the frame, there being an index 23 carried upon the hub of saidgear wheel, with its free end directed upwardly in front of the frameand arranged to stand opposite to and play across a gage device 24 atthe upper part of the forward frame member 2. By ,this arrangement ofthe parts it will be seen that any deviation either of the phonograph Aoncmematograph B from the desired relative speeds will serve to move theindex or pointer 23 in one direction or the other across the gage device24, so that such deviation will be indicated to the attendant. Thisarrangement is substantially like that shown and claimed in myapplication, Serial No. 350,857, filed January 4th, 1907, now PatentJune 22, 1915, of

and I therefore make no claim to the particular construction andarrangement of the parts above described in this present application.

The present invention relates to means for automatically controlling themovements of the phonograph or cinematograph driving devices so as tosecure substantialsynchronism in the operation thereof, and in carryingout the present invention, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I rovide means,actuated from the differential gear and controlling the circuit of thecinematograph motor which I will now proceed to describe.

36 represents a contact bar or plate carried by the index or pointer 23and having its opposite ends adapted in the normal or central positionof the index or ointer, as shown in Fig. 1, to contact electrically upona plate 29 which is included in a partial circuit in shunt with thecircuit of the cinematograph actuating motor 25, said shunt circuitincluding a conductor 33 extended from the plate 29 to the rheostat 28included in the motor circuit.

26 represents the armature circuit of said motor 25, connected with agenerator 27 or other source of supply and including a switch 02, and 26represents the shunt field. 30 represents a contact plate similar to theplate 29, but insulated therefrom by a narrow strip 31 of insulatingmaterial, and this plate 30 is also included in the partial shuntcircuit wherein plate 29 is included, said plate 30 being connected by aconductor 32 with the motor circuit 26 at a point adjacent to one end ofthe rheostat 28. The conductor 33 has an adjustable connection with therheostat 28 as shown at 31, so that when desired said conductor may bebrought into electrical communication with the rheostat at a point moreor less distant from the end whereat the conductor 32 has communicationwith the motor circuit conductor 26. By this arrangement it will beevident that during the normal operation of the parts, when the index orpointer stands in its central position, as shown inFig. 1, bothextremlties of the contact piece 36 resting upon the plate 29, the fulllength of the rheostat 28 is included in circuit with the cinematographmotor 25, and in practice said rheostat will be so proportioned that,when the rheostat is so included, the speed of the cinematograph motorwill be cut down to a point slightly below the average ratio which it isdesired to maintain between the same and the phonograph motor. Thus asthe two motors operate, the differential gear will be actuated to movethe index or pointer forward in the direction of the arrow g in Fig. 1,so that the one end of the contact piece 36 carried by the index orpointer 23 will be caused to pass across the strip 31 of insulatingmaterial and to communicate electrically with the plate 30, as shown inFig. 2, thereby completing the partial shunt circuit includingconductors 32 and 33 and plates 29 and 30, and cutting out of the motorcircuit that portion of the rheostat 28 which intervenes between saidconductors 32 and 33.

The resistance in the cinematograph motor circuit being thusreduced, thesaid motor is caused to operate at an increased speed, and in setting upthe apparatus for use the connection of conductor 33 with the rheostatat 34 will be so arranged and adjusted that when a part of the includedresistance is cut out of the cinematograph motor circuit, the said motorwill be caused to operate at a speed slightly greater than the averagewhich it is desired to maintain between the same and the phonographmotor.

During the operation of the cinematograph motor at this increased speedthe differential gear is operated in a manner the reverse of that abovedescribed, whereby the index or pointer 23 is caused to be movedbackwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown inFig. 1, whereby the forward end of the contact piece 36 is withdrawnfrom engagement with plate 30 so as to break the partial shunt circuitacross that section of the resistance which is included betweenconductors 32 and 33, Whereby the current flowing in the cinematographmotor circuit is again caused to traverse the entire length of theresistance 28, with consequent reduction of the speed of said motor.Thusit will be seen that a constant succession of slight variations isautomatically effected in the speed of the cinematograph motor,resulting in said motor being alternately operated first at a speed veryslightly less than, and afterward at a speed very slightly in excess ofthe average ratio which it is desired to maintain between said motor andthe phonograph motor, but these variations are so slight and sofrequently recurrent as to afiord, for practical purposes, substantialsynchronism of operation of the motors.

From the above description of my invention it will be evident that thesynchronizing device constructed according to' my invention is of anextremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature, and isparticularly well adapted for use by reason of the accuracy with whichthe desired syn chronous relation of the moving parts is attained and ofthe substantially automatic nature of its operation, and it will also beobvious from the above description that the device is susceptible ofsome modification without material departure from the principles andspirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not desire to beunderstood as limiting myself to the precise formation and arrangementof the several parts herein set forth in carrying out my invention inpractice.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. A device of the character described having twomechanisms, one of which is an electric motor, and circuit controllingmeans capable of operation automatically to drive said motor alternatelyat two different speeds, one of which is greater, and the other of whichis less than an average speed at which it is desired to operate theother of said mechanisms, and including a circuit changer capable ofreverse operation 1n un1-' son with reverse variations in the speed ofone of the mechanisms relatively to the other.

2. A device of the character described having two mechanisms, one ofwhich is an electric motor, and circuit controlling means operableautomatically to drive said motor alternately at two different speeds,one of which is greater, and the other of which is less than an averagespeed at which it is desired to operate the other of said mechanisms,and including a resistance adapted to be included in the motor circuit,and a circuit changer reversely operable in unison with reversevariations in the speed of one of the mechanisms relatively to theother, to insert and short-circuit said resistance.

3. A device of the character described having two mechanisms, one ofwhich is an electric motor, and circuit controlling means operableautomatically to drive said motor alternately at two different speeds,one of which is greater, and the other of which is less than an averagespeed at which it is des red to operate the other of said mechanisms,and including a resistance insertible in the motor circuit and adaptedto be varied to vary the speed of the motor, and a circuit changerreversely operable in unison with reverse variations in the speed of onemechanism relatively to the other, to insert and short-circuit saidresistance.

4. device of the character described, comprising two mechanisms adaptedto be synchronously operated, means for assuring synchronism betweensaid mechanisms, said means comprising an electric motor for drlvmg oneof said mechanisms, a differential, one gear of which is connected toone of said mechanisms and the other gear of which is connected to theother of said mechanisms, a light resistance in the circuit of saidmotor, and means adapted to alternately cut-in and cut-out saidresistance for very short intervals and for very weak positive ornegative variations of the relative speeds of the said two mechanisms inorder to obtain a practically constant speed, said means com rising adevice under the control of said di erential and subject to the variat1ons in the relative speeds of the two mechamsms.

5. A device of the character described, comprising two mechanismsadapted to be synchronously operated, means for assuring synchronismbetween said mechanisms, said means comprising an electric motor fordriving one of said mechanisms, a differential, one gear of which isconnected to one of said mechanisms and the other gear of which isconnected to the other of said mech anisms, a light resistance in thecircuit of said motor, and means adapted to alternately cut-in andcut-out said resistance for very short intervals andfor very weakpositive or negative variations of the relative speeds of the said twomechanisms in order to obtain a practically constant speed, said meanscomprising a shunt circuit around said resistance two contact platesconnected to terminals of said shunt circuit, and an arm carried by saiddifferential, movable under variations in the relative speeds of saidtwo mechanisms, adapted to make and break said shunt circuit.

6. A device of the character described, comprising two mechanismsadapted to be synchronously operated, both of said mechanisms beingdriven mechanisms, an electric motor for driving one of said mechanisms,and means for maintaining synchronism between said two mechanismscomprising a diflerential gearing, one mechanism being connected to oneside of said gearing, and the other mechanism being connected to theother side of said gearing, and an electric controller in the circuit ofsaid electric motor actuated by the intermediate member of saiddiiferential, said electric motor being normally adapted to maintainsaid mechanism' driven thereby at other than the speed of said othermechanism, and said intermediate member of the differential operating toactuate said controller to increase the speed of said motor whenrotating at less than the predetermined speed, and to decrease the speedof said motor When rotating' at more than the predetermined speed,whereby a substantially synchronous movement is maintained between saidmechanisms.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 23rd day ofNovember, 1907, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- LEON GAUMONT. Witnesses:

J ULES ARMENGAUD, JEUNE, ,DEAN B. MASON.

